Potential Value of Security Cameras Highlighted in Florida Investigation

The use of security cameras in public areas by the government, whether it be local or national, is a hot button topic for a lot of people and a great debate in our country. A lot of people think that these types of cameras will deter crime and even catch criminals after they have committed a crime. Others still fear the whole "Big Brother is always watching" privacy issue. What do you think?

Well, despite your feelings on the issue, police that are investigating the murder of two British tourists at a public housing complex in Florida are utilizing evidence found on a single government surveillance camera that was installed on a nearby roof a month prior.

However, the detective's ability to piece together the moments leading up to the shootings is not as good as it could have been due to the fact that the installation of nine other security cameras was delayed by government bureaucracy. The Sarasota Housing Authority planned on stationing several dozen cameras around the The Courts as well as the other housing developments at the end of 2010.

However, instead of cameras there are empty poles where the cameras would have been positioned throughout The Court, including several between the site of the killings and the home where the 16-year-old charged with the killings lives with his mother.

Police have stated that even if the cameras did not catch the actual shootings of James Cooper, 25, and James Kouzaris, 24, they might have offered clues to how the two arrived at The Courts or could have helped identify anybody walking nearby at the time of the shooting.

According to Sarasota Police Captain Paul Sutton, "Even if it's not the suspect, even if it's not the victim, that may give you people who need to talk, who are potential witnesses to the crime."

Source: Security Info Watch - Florida killings highlight cameras' potential worth

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